Mama Ruby

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By: Mary Monroe
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Summary:The new edition of a modern classic by New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Mary Monroe!

An enduring tale of the rebellious early years of Mama Ruby in 1930s Louisiana – the bold, brassy, indomitable heroine of Mary Monroe’s acclaimed debut, The Upper Room.

Growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana, Ruby Jean Upshaw is the kind of girl who knows what she wants and knows how to get it. By the time she’s fifteen, Ruby has a taste for fast men and cheap liquor, and not even her preacher daddy can set her straight. Only Othella Mae Cartier, daughter of the town tramp, understands what makes Ruby tick.

When Ruby discovers she’s in the family way, she’s scared for the first time in her life. After hiding her growing belly, Ruby secretly gives birth to a baby girl at Othella’s house. Othella talks Ruby into giving the child away—and with the help of a shocking revelation, convinces Ruby to run off with her to New Orleans.

But nothing can erase Ruby’s memories of her child—or quell her simmering rage at Othella for persuading her to let her precious baby go. Someday there will be a reckoning. And Othella will learn that no one exacts revenge quite like Ruby Jean Upshaw . .



Review: Growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana, Ruby Jean Upshaw knows what she wants and how to get it. By fifteen, Ruby craves fast men and cheap liquor, and even her preacher daddy can’t steer her in the right direction. Othella Mae Cartier, daughter of the town tramp, understands Ruby’s true nature only.

When Ruby discovers she's pregnant, fear overwhelms her for the first time in her life. As Ruby hides her growing belly, she gives birth secretly at Othella’s house. After Ruby gives away the child, Othella convinces her to run away with her to New Orleans—with the help of a shocking revelation.

Regret over giving up on her baby and following Othella’s advice. Ruby’s only motivation is revenge against her friend Othella, who betrayed her.

I read this book because a co-worker recommended it to me. I will enjoy this book, she said. Reading this book was a mistake for me.

The book contains so many problems. The author fears readers forgetting the plot after chapter foreshadowing. The violence is graphic, with detailed descriptions of bodily fluids and people engaging in physical altercations. Whenever characters speak, they declare, holler, scream, or mutter while rolling their eyes.

It’s an unbelievable story: Ruby is a teen who hides her pregnancy and gives up the baby, then becomes a prostitute, then murders her bootlegging husband, and then steals another baby to make up for the one she lost.

However, the situation changed... The story just ends. Many issues remain unresolved and require attention. Perhaps Monroe got tired, or she hit a deadline.As a whole, Mama Ruby reads like a half-finished rough draft. The book took me only a few hours to read, and I admit it’s a quick read.